1. FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to coke quenching apparatus and, more particularly, to an improved draft concentrating mechanism that reduces the escape of pollutants from the quench car.
2. DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
Coke quench cars have been provided heretofore with a large, wide, open side facing the coke oven exit opening so as to permit the coke being pushed from the oven to fall freely into the cavity in the quench car. Such a quench car is shown and described in the J. E. Allen U.S. Pat. No. 3,843,461 and in the J. E. Allen, J. F. Hanley, Jr., F. K. Armour, F. G. Krikau and R. S. Patton U.S. Pat. No. 3,869,352. The quench cars of the two mentioned patents have draft inducing mechanisms thereon for pulling the gaseous and particulate emissions, sometimes called a "push closed", or a "quench cloud", from the hood above the quenched coke. The emissions are passed through scrubbers where the gaseous and particulate materials are taken from the emissions prior to discharge as substantially clean air.
Although the quench cars of the mentioned patents are substantial improvements over the prior art devices and effectively reduce the escape of any appreciable amounts of gaseous or particulate matter, there were occasions when the nature of the push, the volume of emissions involved, and the like, permitted parts of the "push cloud" or "quench cloud" to escape around the hood of the quench car without passing through the scrubbers.